The chronicles of Inquisitor Invictus Zane
by Sir Landalot
Summary: A write up of the Dark Heresy campaign that we are running. Quite a cool group and they've given me permission to put to scrip our game, kinda didn't want to just have a script of who said what so here you are, a story. I also stuck in a character that isn't in the campaign so no one player was favoured over the others. Hope you all like it as much as I love GM-ing it. enjoy
1. Chapter 1: The Grim Darkness

Chapter 1

_ When age fell upon the world and wonder went out of the minds of men; when grey cities reared into smoky skies with tall towers grim and ugly, in whose shadow none might dream of the sun or of spring's flowering meads; when learning stripped earth of her mantle of beauty, and poets sang no more save of twisted phantoms seen with bleared and inward-looking eyes; when these things had come to pass, and childish hopes had gone away forever, there was a man who travelled out of life on a quest into the spaces whither the world's dreams had fled. – H P Lovecraft, The Durnwich Horror._

Thunder rolled through the sky as broad and dark figure looked out from his seat in the grim shade of the musky tavern that could pass for a fine establishment of this city. Clad in a dirty white shirt with black trousers, the hems of which were painted with the smoggy muck from the city, on the seat next to him lay a sodden black trench coat, the collar of which was turned up against the wind, placing his lho stick into his mouth he gazed across the bar, his dark and firm eyes scoured every last individual in the room till finally his eyes fell upon a young man, weedy however, bearing a firm complexion of a man who had seen much, though he tried not to show it up his sleeve was a carefully concealed Las Pistol that the eyes of anyone less sharp than the figure would not have managed to notice. A short suck on the lho stick resulted in its tip shining a florescent blue for but a moment as it singed in the oxygen being sucked through it before a dark grey-blue mist is blown from his lips.

Slowly the hours ticked by and a little before midnight on the hive planet of Saricca IV the lanky man, barely much older than a boy, stood leaving behind a small amount of nickel coinage, enough Throne Gelt to pay for the small drink he'd been staring into for a few hours. As he reached the door the figure stood from behind his table, dropping his lho stick on to the steel flooring and quenching its smouldering end beneath his boot he swung his coat on before following after the young man.

Outside the bar which name was not of the least importance to the figure the rain had not let up, falling in large black globules due to the mixture of the thick levels of soot that hang in the air. Sniffing in disgust the figure followed after the lanky man who turned a corner into a back alley, sparing a moment to glance over at the figure before he disappeared. With a dissatisfied snort the figure reached to his belt thumbing the hammer on his Stubb Revolver and gently easing it part way out of its holster should he require it. He'd seen men like this before, a glance his way before disappearing down a back alley in his line of work meant only trouble.

His line of work, oh how suddenly that had come about; seventeen years before hand on the death world of Fenris he remembered the day that the black ships had arrived. The village, hauled from their homes by the local Space Marine Chapter, the mighty Vlyka Fenryka, Wolves of Fenris, The Space Wolves. With that each of them were tried for pskyic powers by representatives of the Impirium and those who were found to conceal them, were taken. To the Planet of Holy Terra he travelled for his induction into the Psykers of the Imperium. From there forth all memories of that holy place had been seared form his memory though hours of painstaking flagellation less the unlovely memories of days past resurface and proceed to drive him from the path of riotousness.

Rounding the corner he proceeded into a small shielded area that was access to several homes, all of which were quiet, dark, the inhabitants sleeping or acting upon their night shifts. He was alone as far as his eyes could see however, he could feel the presences of a large number of individuals, hiding in the shadows. Lighting a lho stick and putting it into his mouth he spoke with a voice heavy with the power of a man who walks upon the path chosen for him by the God Emperor, "I am Invictus Zane, show yourselves less the damnation of Holy Terra rain upon you all." With that, they showed themselves.


	2. Chapter 2: The Inquisition

Chapter 2

"I am Invictus Zane, show yourselves less the damnation of Holy Terra rain upon you all." With that they showed themselves.

As Invictus looked around he spotted several people stepping forth from back alleys and from behind large rubbish containers that looked un emptied for several weeks, he counted five total, three men and two women. The lanky man that he had followed swung himself up onto the box, his meagre looking laspistol was drawn and pointed in Invictus' direction. At 12 o'clock stood a pair of the scum that had shown up, a tall man however he did not meet Invictus' towering figure and a young lady, her air bright pink and stood up, short cut and shaved off completely on the right side of her head. They were both dressed in factory clothes, dark blue overalls and a muddy-oily brown undershirt. Behind him at 4oclock and to his left at 9oclock stood another the other two, the female was dressed simerally while the male seemed of a higher rank, he wore a civilian dress of a red shirt with dark grey trousers, under his shirt it was clear that he was wearing a plated body armour and over his top he wore a coat with some fraying at the elbows that reviled it to contain linked chains in a primitive form of armour.

The lanky man snickered as the tall leader like scum spoke, his voice rough and like that of one who smokes too much as it rasped through the fine layer of mucus that must line his throat. "What've you brough' us this evenin' rat? This guy is one hell o' a monster, be able to eat 'im for several night I recon." Invictus rolled his shoulders sliding one hand under his coat discretely sliding his stub revolver up his sleeve as he turned slowly keeping an eye on the scum alley cats. 'Two shot guns, a laspistol an autopistol and a club.' He thought to himself as he made a silent inventory of his enemy's immediately obvious weapons.  
"Hah, this guy was givin' me the eye in tha' bar down thar street, the one old that the old scrawny veteran runs. Thought I didn't see 'im but little rats got better eyes than most." The lanky man, now identified as Rat, threw his head back and gave a slightly delirious cackle falling from his bin before righting himself shortly after hitting the floor, all the while keeping his laspistol trained on Invictus.  
"So I was right to follow you then. You've lead me the messenger of the God Emperor himself right into your little cult of flesh eaters." Spoke Invictus as he slowly turned keeping his eyes trained on those around him carefully scrutinising them for any hint of an attack. Slowly he began moving backwards towards one of the bins seeking some cover should this all start to go to shit.

Meanwhile on the rooftops above the scene a trio of young acolytes looked down upon the scene. A reletivly aged man; about 45 at first glance, greying short cropped hair covered his head with a vox receiver in his right ear keyed to a transceiver that sits at his right hip, on his right sits a laspistol and a little below that a sword, on his back is slung a combat shotgun. To his right stands a hunched figure clad in red robes, from his back sticks a metal container like structure with a long mechadendrite implanted into it, at the tip of the mechadentrite is a plasma cutter and to the right side of his body a large mechanical claw juts out from his back and looms over his shoulder. His face is masked by an array of vox implants and a rebreather system. Finally behind both of the men stands a small girl, her face is shrouded under robes of the Echlisiacy with an aquilla pendant hangs around her neck.  
"Alright; Evelyn, Grid, He's ready for us, let's not cause too much of a mess like we did on Primvar VI now hmm." Spoke the aged man clad in a guardsman sergeant uniform, taking his shotgun from his back he moves to the ladder down from the roof into one of the back alleys that provides access to the yard below where Invictus stays staring down his assailants. Without a word the girl followed the man without a word as the Tech-priest, Grid Solus, removed his Las carbine from his robes and aimed down at the group singling out one the tall man in the workers uniform.  
"Worry not Xenris, in the name of the Omnisiah, my weapon is prepared and its machine spirit is pleased, this will not go amiss unless it is the Emperor's will that it must." Spoke Grid in a mechanical vox emulation that now was his voice. Grid watched the scene below as it unfolded. Watched as Invictus closed his eyes and as he opened them the female dressed in factory overalls carrying the second shotgun legs buckled, her arms flailed suddenly as a gunshot flew from her weapon. Rat barely managed to throw himself from his bin as bullets peppered the point at which he'd been sitting. The woman continued to fall to the floor spasming as her muscle twitched and writhed out of her control.

Invictus allowed his stub revolver to drop into his hand raising it at the leader he unleashed a shot however it failed to penetrate the plated vest that he seemed to be wearing beneath his shirt. At that instant his acolytes, Xenris the ex-sergeant of the Death Korp of Krieg and Lady Evelyn Kaltos IV, the Hive world noble whose strength was nigh-upon legendary among her previous covenant of the Adeptus Soritas. They had both pledged themselves to him, the Lord Inquisitor Invictus Zane. That was when he saw the familiar red blast of a lasweapon being fired, the technographer, Grid Solus had entered play with a las shot that burnt a hole through the shoulder of Rat causing the man to let out a scream as the searing heat of the laser ignited his clothing. The inhuman screams that escaped his lips as his flesh boiled and scorched into something grotesque as he writhed on the floor in abject agony, a second shot finished him off as it burnt into his skull. A roar knocked Invictus from his daze of aprechiation of the work of his allies as the Leader charged him, large mace held high, Invictus had not the time to react as the large object smashed into his stomach sending him crumpling to the ground, holding his stomach winded he saw the mace come down towards his face and rolled quickly to the right to avoid his brains being painted across the floor behind him. Looking around desperately Invictus noticed his revolver off to one side, he had dropped the weapon during the blow to his stomach, again the mace came down towards head and once more Invictus had to roll aside to avoid it, this time however, he hurried back up to his feet, focusing on the leader for a moment before suddenly lightning crackled between his fingers as he reached into the warp, manifesting energys to vile in their grotesquely inhuman nature to be contemplated by minds that aren't blessed by the emperor himself. The leader had barely a moment to look shocked as the bio-lightning arced from Invictus' hand and found its way to the heavily armoured man's arm, attracted to the metal the electric energy entered his jacket as the leader spasmed as his whole body was shocked by the lightning momentarily, his jacket caught light however unlike Rat he threw if off before any severe damage inflicted itself upon him.

Xenris collided with the tall man, levelling his shot gun and firing, unluckily the bulky man knocked his gun aside just in time resulting in the spray of bullets hitting nothing but air. Xenris quickly followed up with a swing from his sword however that to managed to fail to hit its target. His opponent levelled his shotgun with Xenris and pulled the trigger, the blast of the weapon hit Xenris square in the chest knocking him from his feet as pellet after pellet slammed into his Guardsman Flak armour. Several of the pellets from the shot found their way into his flesh and drew small trickles of blood but one does not serve under Commissar Yarrik and complain at a flesh wound like that when your leader replaces his arm with that of a dead Orc. Grunting slightly Xenris watched as Evelyn collided with the tall man who was now standing over him with the shotgun poined at his face. Evelyn grabbed the man by his left thigh and the scruff of his overalls, with a grunt her desceptive strength lent her power that no one could have guessed she possessed as she lifted the man off the ground and above her head before slamming him head first into the floor. With a sickening crunch his head popped and a wet slapping sound as gore gushed from the stump atop his neck as he was carelessly tossed aside. Another las shot arced through the air hitting the female that was armed with an auto pistol, the shot caught her hip however she grinned as she didn't seem to feel the hit. It was at that very moment that a sharp whirring was heard and she looked down in panic grabbing at a charge that was clipped to her belt. The casing was smoking from the las hit. She quickly attempted to discard the grenade drawing back her arm only for the device to detonate. The vox receiver in Xenris' ear buzzed and Grid's voice entered his hear.  
"Krak charge, anti-tank weaponry, it would be optimal if you ducked." At that moment the charge went off seconds before the unlucky victim of Grid's shooting managed to throw the grenade, a large boom echoed through the night air as the woman was instantly turned to a shower of gore and guts. Splinters of bone shrapnel showered around the area however the blast had not been powerful enough to propel them at a speed that would reach the party. Ceasing his shotgun Xenris pumped the weapon before firing it at the now fleeing second woman; she let out an otherworldly scream as her right leg was blown from her body. She hit the floor and went silent.

Invictus managed to grab his stub revolver raising it and pointing it at the Leader he let loose three shots leaving only two more in his cartridge, the first shot went wide the second hit the man in his stomach and the third his left thigh. The combination of shots brought the man to his knees as he whimpered in pain.  
"I am Lord Invictus Zane of the God Emperor's holy inquisition. I believe you to be a heretic as you admitted your taste for the flesh of the Imperium. How do you plead?"


	3. Chapter 3: The Interrogation

Chapter 3

"_There are sacraments of evil as well as of good about us, and we live and move to my belief in an unknown world, a place where there are caves and shadows and dellers of twilight. It is possible that man may sometimes return on the track of evolution, and it is my belief that an awful lore is not yet dead." – Arthur Machen_

"I am Lord Invictus Zane of the God Emperor's holy inquisition. I believe you to be a heretic as you admitted your taste for the flesh of the Imperium. How do you plead?" Spoke Invicuts as Xenris and Evelyn joined him while Grid kept watch on the streets from above. At the mention of the Inquisition the man's face visibly paled.  
"Inquisition…" His eyes conveyed an image of dumbstruck horror and despite his need to clutch his stomach to stem the stream of blood that had been steadily trickling from the bullet wound that he had obtained his arms went limp and hung lamely by his sides, his eyes began to roll into the back of his head before a jolt of power too unlike that which can be described by most, an ethereal pull that effects not simply the mind but the very soul snapped him back, when his eyes focused on Invictus though he could not be sure he felt certain that he was the reason for this intrusion into his mind.  
"Who are you!" Demanded Invictus as he gripped the man by his shirt, jerking him forwards driving the heel of his boot into the wound on his lower leg. The man screamed in pain before gargling his name out through the shrieks of agony that were escaping his cracked and dry lips.  
"Plex! Pl- I'm Plex" With that he was spared the agony of the wounds as he once more began to fall into the blissful darkness of unconsciousness however once more his mind was forced to the foreground by this unearthly presence that Invictus seemed to be using upon him.  
"Well Plex," Invictus removed his heel from the wound on his leg shoving him to the floor and gently inspecting his revolver, by this point Xenris was checking the surrounding buildings for signs of life while Evelyn was simply watching the downed gang leader as Invictus interrogated him. "Who do you serve?  
"Me, I don't serve anyone!" Whimpered Plex as he struggled to crawl away from Invictus, quickly doubling back on his sentence, "Well I serve the Emperor, of course!"  
"Servants of the Emperor do not deal in the business of canablism, only those fallen from the path of Holy Terra will subject themselves to such animalistic behaviour." Invictus took two steps closer raising his boot, coated the heel of which was still dripping blood that had leaked from Plex's wounds in the moments before hand.  
"Please!" Squeal Plex as he curled up on the floor shielding his body from Invictus' boot. "I'll tell you anything just don't hurt me!"  
Invictus cleared his throat, "Very well, Plex. Tell me, who do you work for?" Invictus' voice was soft but held a cold tone that was more than enough to make Plex break down into sobs as he spoke.  
"I told you, I ain't working for no-one! It's just me gang.. well, it's just me now! You think its easy in the underhive, the only jobs you'll get kill you. I got a daughter! I ain't got time to dies so please Mister Za-" Plex was cut off when a boot drove itself into his upper back.  
"Make note of who you are speaking to scum!" Whispered a female voice that belonged to evelyn..  
"I got a daughter, don't kill me Lord." Whimpered Plex as he continued to sob quietly into his arms.  
" It would be better for her that you did." Spoke Evelyn, Plex peaked out from behind his hands to see her level an auto-pistol at his head, with that he broke down into loud sobs of abject terror. With a brief nod Invictus turned away for Evelyn to carry out her work.


	4. Chapter 4: A Small Annoyance

**Author Note: Hello my highly esteemed viewers! Hello USA! Hello UK! Hello Sweden! Hello Canada and Australia! Good day to Thailand, Croatia and Hong Kong! And by no means last our friend out at Vietnam! Thank you for reading I have to say I am very chuffed to have you guys reading this and I will strive to keep you rooted on this story. Sorry for the wait so let's get too it! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Boys and Girls, onto the Internet from England, welcome to chapter four.  
- Lander.**

Chapter 4

With a brief nod Invictus turned away for Evelyn to carry out her work.  
"Daddy! NO!" came the scream of a young girl from one of the homes off to Invictus' right, a small blond girl dressed in a tattered cloth ran out and put herself between Evelyn's gun and Plex. "Don't hurt daddy, he not a bad man!" The girl looked as though she had not eaten a reasonable sized meal in several days, her teeth were yellowed and her figure was skeletal and frail. Invictus turned looking over his shoulder at the small girl.  
"Hold on a moment Evelyn. This is your daughter then Plex?" Evelyn took a step back keeping her gun trained on the girl but ultimately Plex who was shielded by the young girl.  
"I'm Daddies daughter! Why are you hurting Daddy?" She answered for her Father who had passed out in a pool of urine and blood. Invictus stared at the young girl thoughtfully, she could not have been any older than twelve he looked over to Xenris who had come over to see what was causing the commotion.  
"Call Solus down from the roof. Evelyn, restrain the girl and get Plex patched up." Invictus took a lho stick from his jacket lighting it on the still burning chain coat Plex had been wearing before stalking off down the alley he had come from, his head tilted into the sky deep in thought.

Grid Solus eyed the situation intently, the mechanical extremities buzzed slowly on his back as his vox receiver bussed into life on his ear, Xenris' voice buzzed into his ear. Well, to say it came to his ear would be a lie, the implant connected directly with his temporal lobe.  
"Lord Zane wants you down here." Lowering his weapon Grid moved towards the ladder downwards. Unlike his colleagues he was young and undoubtedly the most intelligent as he knew more of the great works of the Omnisiah than even his leader Lord Inquisitor Invictus Zane. The Omnisiah, the great machine aspect of the God Emperor, whose children live within all the machinery in the universe and for who it is Grid's great honour to care for.

While Grid descended the ladder Evelyn stepped forwards gripping the small girl by the front of her sack cloth rags and lifting her off the ground. The girl gripped Evelyns wrist and started flailing her legs however no matter how many kicks the young girl landed upon Evelyn's body she didn't flinch in the least let alone feel anything but the arrhythmic tapping of a child's feet against her. As she looked between the unconscious man on the floor and the child's tearstained face with gritted teeth glaring defiantly at Evelyn. The young girl reminded Evelyn of herself when she had first joined the Ecclesiarchy. She had been but six at the time when her father had passed her, his first daughter to the church to be educated in the Imperial cult as was the tradition in her line. Over the years of trials of her faith she had learned of the Emperor and how his great mind keeps Humanity from falling in upon its self. How the Emperor holds demons at bay and locks away the four Ruinous Powers. How she had hated the concept of moving to a new world and studying with those below her. Oh but now that she had she was enlightened for all are humbled in comparison to the Emperor, or so she thought. When Lord Invictus had arrived at the Chapel in which she had been lucky enough to be worshipping at the time she learned that while all are humbled before the Emperor, some are more than others with the Great Inquisitors of the Holy Inquisition standing a top, side by side with the High Lords of Terra who commune with the great God Emperor himself. Below them are the great Space Marine chapters, even within those of the Emperor's chosen there was a hierarchy starting with the Primarch standing atop the Chapter Masters, providing ofcourse the Primarch had not chosen to side with the Fallen Son of the Emperor Horus.

" Spare your father if you agree to tell us what we need to know." Evelyn snapped back to the moment at hand as Invictus spoke to the girl who was no longer kicking defiantly at Evelyn but cringing timidly while staring unblinking at Invictus.  
Silence emanated from the girl, for but a moment Evelyn presumed her mute however her previous screaming had been proof enough against that.  
"Very well," Invictus raised his hand squeezing his fingers towards his palm, while the now conscious body of her farther jerked a few inches off the ground before contorting in ways that should not be possible for a human body and indeed were not as the sound of crunching bones rung out in the back alley and the unearthly wail of a man suffering pain that no Human should ever have to endure.  
"STOP! I- I.. Yes.." Whimpered the girl.

Invictus smiled with satisfaction relaxing his hand and his Telekenis ending as her father dropped to the floor, he was a sorry state, he left knee was bent forwards so that his foot touched his chest and his jaw hung at an odd angle seemingly dislocated untill he turned his head to reveal that the teeth from the left side of his jaw had been bent sideways and rammed through his cheek, blood dripped from a number of minor rends in his flesh while Xenris re-assumed his work of repairing the broken and bloodied man. "What d-do you w-want to know?" whispered the girl as her voice broke in fear.  
"Put her down Evelyn, she won't run otherwise her father won't make it…" Spoke Invictus, "Just to be sure, Xenris."  
"My Lord?" Replied the ever stalwart Sergeant snapping up to his feet looking to Invictus for orders.  
"Do you still have that Explosive Collar? Best put one around this fools neck, don't want him sneaking off." Xenris nodded once opening his bag removing a disk the width of a paint can **[Autor Note: The paint cans that are like, fat neck width not the really tiny ones Citadel make for painting models because that wouldn't fit on a mouse.] **and fastening it around Plex's neck. With that Invictus turned to look at the young girl. "So then, I take it I have made myself clear, now where to begin."


	5. Chapter 5: The Price of Meat

Chapter 5

Xenris nodded once opening his bag removing a disk the width of a paint can and fastening it around Plex's neck. With that Invictus turned to look at the young girl. "So then, I take it I have made myself clear, now where to begin."

Invictus mused to himself as he gently tapped his chin before adjusting his pose to cross one army over his torso and to lean his right elbow on his left forearm while scratching softly at his unshaven face. "How often do you see what your Father does for work?" Invictus raised an eyebrow as he looked down his nose at the young girl who had adopted the same 'stand to' stance that Xenris had when Invictus had called his name. She was clearly trying to be brave but her body betrayed her with every inch of her frame shaking as though she were a hanging light in an earthquake.  
"I don't see him much but I do get to see him some times… Sir.." She said strongly yet with a slight quiver to her voice. Instantly, however Invictus fell in with another question.  
"What does your Father do?"  
"He sells food that he gets from bad people. Bad people like you."  
"Bad people like me?" asked the Inquisitor inquisitively, a hint of malice to his voice.  
"Yes, you like hurting daddy so you're a bad perso-"  
SMACK!

The girl didn't get to finish her sentence before Evelyn's hand cracked suddenly across the child's face causing her to fall to the floor with a short scream that then turned to quiet sobs of pain. "Do you know who you talk to underhive filth?!" Screeched Evelyn as she stepped forwards to grab the young girl again. "This is the Lord Inquistor Invictus Zane! Left hand of the God Emperor! Any you would sully his name! You are the evil in this scenario!" As Evelyn reached down to grab the girl a firm hand gripped her shoulder, she looked back to see Grid's mechanised claw clamped on her shoulder with the lens mounted over his left eye flashing occasionally while his other eye watched Invictus. As Evelyn turned her head she could see the disapproving look her Lord was giving her. Blushing furiously under her hood, she jerked her shoulder causing Grid to let go of her and retreat a step or two before she pulled the young girl up to her feet and retreated several steps, her head dipped in horrific embarrassment. Invictus stepped towards the young girl who quickly shrunk not daring to move even an inch less she or her father were to suffer or indeed die.  
"What food does your Father sell?"  
"H-he sells the rarest food, for lot of money."  
"Does he get it from people, or does he take it from people, what I'm asking is, does he sell the flesh of Humanity?" After a short pause the girl replied;  
"Daddy ain't a killer… Is he?" She turned to look at her father. Invictus allowed her a moment to gather herself before continuing to question her.  
"Who does your Father sell his gains to?" The girl looked at Invictus then back at her father before muttering something under her breath, "Hmm?" Inquired Invictus "Speak up girl."  
"He meets with him at night every three days, he was going to meet him tonight."  
"Where?"  
"I dunno Sir, please don't hurt Daddy."  
"Where then?" This time the question was directed at Plex who grunted and rolled his head, his neck was a little too fat for the explosive collar that was now locked in place around his neck.  
"T-the bar down the way, the one that belongs to smoky Joe. Now let my daughter go, you've got me and I'll tell you everything."  
"What does this man look like?" Asked Invictus ignoring his plea.  
"I dunno, never seen his face, wears this black jacket, got a rain hood too, got some kind of box on his mouth that distorts his voice."  
"And the one that belonged to smoky Joe, that is the one that I followed your now dismembered man from correct?"  
"Uh, yea. Yes it was. Now please mister, just don't hurt us.. anymore."

Invictus nodded motioning for his retinue to move down the alleyway from which they came. Grid looked down at the child with relative disinterest then looked over Plex taking notice of his largely primitive coat that now lay as a pile of blackened chains on the floor. Evelyn, Grid and Xenris had barely got to the street when two gunshots rang out in the air, the first was followed with a guttural choke and a scream that was quickly silenced with the second shot. Grid removed the charge pack from his las carbine plugging it into a port on the underside of his wrist to allow it to recharge, coaxing a small amount of charge into the pack as he felt the spirit of the machine hum joyously to its feeding. Muttering a sting of blessings to the great Omnisiah the tech-priest took joy in his simple task of recharging the charge packs for each of his Lord's retinue. Invictus stepped past Grid with a metal disk in his hand that dripped with blood which he held out to Xenris.  
"Plex isn't in need of this any more." 


End file.
